Garment-clasp.



, PATBNTBD OCT. 4, 1904.

No MODEL.

a .a e w i f6 e 4 Wlwww W ,a d m f v V o \\\\\\W 6 e 1 /f. N/ p0 07 /N VENTOR Jmarf v @yl A 770/?NE YS lllllflllll n UNITED STATES f Patented Octoberll, 1 904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GARNIENT-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,690, dated October 4, 1904.

Application filed July 23, 1903. Serial No. 166,714. (No model.)

To @ZZ 7,071,071@ it may concern:

Be it known 'that I, JAMES PAT'rnRsoNVWIL- soN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in' the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Garment-Clasp, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to clasps that afford gripping ends for garment or hose supporters, and has for its object to provide novel details of construction for a garment-clasp that adapt it for a very reliable engagement with the garment, avoid injury to the most delicate fabric, and permit a quick and convenient release of the material engaged by the clasp.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is represented in the drawings, and is hereinafter fully described, and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the application of the improved clasp as a gripping means for the connection of hose with a supporter of otherwise well-known construction. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view of the improved garment-clasp mounted upon a portion of the webbing that is a portion of a hosesupporter. Fig. 3 is a front side view of a tongue that is the latching member of the improved clasp. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of one embodiment of my invention; and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the device represented in Fig. 2, taken substantially on the line 5 5 in said figure.

The garment-supporter shown to illustrate the application of the improvement as a clasping end therefor is of a well-known style and comprises a band A, formed of elastic webbing having' suficient length to adapt it to encircle the calf ofa wearers leg, and on one lapped end portion of said band a latch-loop B is mounted and held by an engagement of the ordinary buckle-slide C with said lapped end of the fibrous material.

Upon the band A at a suitable point be- :shown at c.

tween its ends a crimping buckle-slide D is mounted, which holds the fibrous material curved edgewise and permits the end portion A of the band material which is opposite that having the latch-loop B thereon to project at an obtuse angle downwardly when the band is in position for use, and on the angular crimping-slide D a latch-stud E is formed or secured, whereon the latch-loop B may be hooked to secure the band of the garter or hose-supporter on the leg of the wearer.

The improved clasp, which in service is engag'ed with the end portion A/ of the webbing' material A--that is, the garter proper`comprises the following details:

The tongue 5, that constitutes the latching member of the improved clasp, is in the form of an elongated strip, that may be of metal or other material, having an enlargement 5 on one end, which preferably is essentially quadrangular, but is rounded on the corners. In the enlargement 5a three parallel spaced slots a are formed transversely, leaving cross-bars a remaining standing, producing' a frictional buckle-slide, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3. A narrow neck is formed at the juncture of the buckle-slide 5u with the tongue 5, and if made entirely of metal or other rigid material in one piece said tongue is gradually widened toward the end thatis opposite from the neck and said wider end is preferably conveXed or archedV slightly on the edge, as Near the extremity having the edge c thereon the side edges of the tongue are concaved, as appears at (Z. Y

While the body of the tongue 5 may be formed entirely of rigid material, such as metal, said rigid portion may be formed as a tang that is a iiat extension of moderate length projected from the buckle-slide 5n and have a latching member 5, of slightly-yielding material, secured on the tang, this construction being indicated in Fig. 3. The

tongue may also be formed of metal or other rigid material having full length, but less width than it should have in complete condition, this portion of the tongue being suitably widened by the attachment thereof of a latching-plate 5C. (Shown in Figs. 2 and The latching-plate may be formed of fiat elastic rubber or any flexible material having proper thickness and that may be molded or cut into marginal shape which corresponds, essentially, with the contour given to the rigid tongue portion 5 or 5b, as already described, and whereon the latching-plate is secured by rivets or other means so that its edge portion will project evenly from the edge of the rigid tongue 5 and be sustained thereby for service as a pliable edge, as shown in Fig. 2.

The coacting member of the clasp which is opposed to the edge of the tongue, that may be rigid on the edge or pliable, as before explained, comprises the following details: On a Hat base-plate 6 are erected two latch-studs 7, spaced apart far enough to permit the free introduction of the tongue, either rigid or elastic, on its edge when the narrow portion of said tongue is disposed opposite the portion of the base-plate between said studs. The bodies of the similar studs 7 are cylindrical, of metal or other suitable material, and upon the upper end of each stud an overhanging flange 7 is formed or secured, these ianges being extended in the same plane toward each other, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5. Upon the bodies of the studs 7 similar elastic or pliable envelops 7" are mounted, thus affording an elastic or other slightlyyielding surface to coact with the tongues edge for gripping interposed material, as will be further explained.

In either construction of the tongue 5 that is to say, if it is of a single piece of metal or other material or has a more or less elastic latching-plate secured thereon-the width between the concaved side edge portions (Z of the tongue is so proportioned that said edges will approach the inner side portions of the envelops 5 when the tongue is properly connected with the garter proper and is drawn upon, this connection being substantially as follows: The slotted end 5 of the .tongue member 5 is engaged with the end portion A on the band A by loosely securing' said end portion in the upper slot a therein. A short doubled tab A2 is provided for joining the clasp member having the base-plate 6 with the tongue member 5, to effect which the bight of the doubled tab at its normal upper end a3 is engaged with the lowermost cross-bar et on the tongue end portion 5*. The base-plate 6 is transversely slotted near the upper and lower ends, and in said slots e one ply of the doubled material of the tab A2 is inserted, passing over the end cross-bars of the baseplate and beneath the portion thereof that intervenes the slots e, the end of the tapped material of the tab being' sewed upon the portion it is lapped upon, as is shown at g in Fig. 2. rl`he length of the tab A2 is so proportioned that it will when doubled centrally by moving the base-plate 6 toward the slotted end 5 on the tongue member 5 dispose the space between the studs opposite the narrow upper portion of the tongue, so that said portion may be seated upon the base-plate 6 between the envelops on the studs 7.

Before the tongue is applied upon the baseplate, as just described, the upper edge portion of the stocking, such as S, should be evenly spread over the base-plate and studs 7. The tongue is now placed over the stocking portion that is engaged with the baseplate 6 by imposing the narrow upper portion of the tongue near its neck thereon. When the parts are connected as explained, the stocking S is drawn upward on the leg of the wearer, and the garter-band is likewise moved upon the leg to put draft strain on the depending member A/ thereof, which will correspondingly draw the tongue upward and inforce an engagement of the edges of the tongue upon the stocking that is thus pressed toward the envelops 7 and gripped between the concave edges c and envelopes 7l. The contact between the tongue and studs 7, being cushioned as explained, it will be obvious that not the slightest injury need result from the attachment of the improved clasp upon fibrous material of a stocking or other garment it may be applied upon.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- l. As a new article of manufacture, a clasp, comprising a iiat elongated tongue, tapered edgewise toward one end and constituting a male member, a female member comprising a base-plate, two spaced studs on said baseplate, and an elastic envelop on each stud, which prevent injury to fibrous material clasped between the tongue and the elastic envelops.

2. rlhe combination with a iiexible band, of a clasp connected to one end of the band, comprising a fiat elongated tongue attached by one end to the end of the band and tapered edgewise toward said end, a pliable tab carried by the tongue, and a female member for the clasp, comprising a base-plate secured on the free end of the tab, two spaced studs on the base-plate, elastic envelops on said studs that are adapted to contact with the side edges of the tongue near its free end and grip material between the tongue and envelops of the studs, said envelops protecting' the material gripped by the male and female members of the clasp.

3. The combination with a pliable band or the like, of a clasp connected to an end of the band, comprising aflat elongated tonguehaving a slightly-yielding edge, said tongue being tapered edgewise from its free end and concaved in said edge near the widest end, means for loosely securing the narrowed end of the tongue on the band at one end, a pliable tab carried by the tongue, and a female IOO IIO

member for the clasp, comprising a base-l plate iXed on the free end of the tab, studs on the base-plate spaced apart to receive and Contact with the edges of the tongue near its widest end, said studs having elastic envelops and overhanging anges on the upper ends of the studs. i

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing' Witnesses. Y

JAMES PATTERSON WILSON.

Witnesses:

C. B. ENDER, CLAY HELLEN. 

